Trans fat is found in most of the foods
we consume today and has been used
since
the 1940's to give foods a better
taste
and to prolong their shelf life.

Researchers have discovered that
trans
fat can have a significant negative
impact on your cholesterol levels and
increases your risk for heart disease
and stroke.

Trans fat is formed by injecting
hydrogen into oil to partially solidify it.
This process is called hydrogenation.
When looking at food labels you may
seem the term partially hydrogenated
oil. This is just another term for trans
fat. However, if a food is labeled fully
hydrogenated, it does not contain
trans fat.

The process to fully hydrogenate an oil
does not result in trans fatty acids.

The way that trans fat
affects your health is by lowering your level of HDL or
high density lipoproteins. The HDL are responsible for
transporting excess cholesterol back to your liver to be
processed as waste. If your HDL is lower, it cannot
perform this very important function. Trans fat also
raises your LDL, or low density lipoprotein levels. This
LDL is responsible for excess plaque buildup in your
arteries which can cause decreased blood flow to the
major organs. If a piece of this plaque would happen to
break free, it can form a clot in the artery and
depending on the location of the clot, it can cause a
heart attack or a stroke.

This is why you must become aware of your trans fat
intake and do everything you can to lower the amount of
trans fat in your diet. The following are some good tips
to help you lower your trans fat intake:

►

Read the labels. In
January of 2006, the FDA required that all
foods must list the amount of trans fat on
the nutrition label. Look for trans fat on
the label and try to find foods with very
little or even no trans fat.

►

Know the foods that do
contain trans fat. These include your snack
foods such as cakes, cookies, doughnuts,
microwave popcorn, etc. Do some research on
the Internet for a printable list of foods
that contain trans fat. Print it out and
become familiar with it.

►

Switch to whole and
natural foods. These foods do not contain
trans fats. Eat more lean meats, fish, whole
grains and fresh fruits and vegetables.

►

Keep from eating out
as much as possible. Plan your meals a week
at a time and if possible cook them up ahead
of time and put them in the freezer. This
allows you to just pop something in the oven
when you get home from work.

Following the above tips will not only reduce the amount
of trans fat in your diet, it can also help you maintain
a healthier lifestyle and may even help you lose weight.
To get the added benefit of your diet change, start an
exercise program or start taking walks with your family.
You've only got one body, take good care of it by
reducing trans fat for better health.